Cap



July 3, 1934.

A. R. KNOX CAP Filed 001;. 2, I L93l 2 SheetsSheet 1 July 3, 1934. R, KNQX 1,964,919

CAP

Filed 001;. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1934 CAP Alonzo R. Knox, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Gordon & Ferguson Company, a corporation of Delaware Application October 2, 1931, Serial No. 566,464

1 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in caps, and has for its object the formation of a resilient cushion between the cap visor and the forehead of the wearer.

In ordinary cap construction, the sweat band, the cap body, and the lining of the body are all sewed to the visor portion of the cap directly adjacent the stiff edge of the visor. When the cap is pulled down onto the head of the wearer,

the seam which is formed by joining the visor to the sweat band is thus pressed into the forehead, making the cap uncomfortable to wear, and cansing a crease across the forehead which may be seen for some time after the cap has been removed.

It is my object to form a resilient cushion between the inner edge of the visor and the sweat band of the cap. Pulling the cap tightly onto the head merely compresses this cushion, flattening the same between the visor edge and the forehead. The hard edge of the visor itself is accordingly at all times kept spaced from the head, obviating discomfort tothe wearer and permitting the cap to be drawn firmly on the head without causing the unsightly crease across the forehead usually accompanying the wearing of caps of ordinary construction.

I am aware of the fact that previous attempts have been made to prevent the edge of the visor from bearing against the forehead. In such constructions, the inner edge of the visor is spaced from the sweat band of the cap, and the attempt has been made to stiffen the connecting portion between the inner edge of the stiff inner visor member and the sweat band with rows or stitching. Not only is the resultant product marred by the unsightly stitching, but the construction is such as to permit the visor to droop after the same has been worn a while. The stitching does not form sufficient support to hold the visor in proper position and as the visor is supported entirely by this stitched connecting portion, the visor is free to droop or otherwise get out of position.

I avoid any danger o1"; permitting the visor to 7 get out of position by forming my resilient cushion between the visor and the sweat band of resilient material with sufficient body to prevent any great amount of vertical flexibility. I alsoform a means of connecting the body of the cap adjacent the stiff visor edge rather than at the junction of the cushion and the sweat band. In this manner the visor is partially supported by the cap body.

It is a feature of my construction that the connection of the cap body adjacent the stilt visor edge acts to cover the portion of the cap containing the cushioning means. By this construction, the appearance of the cap is not in any way aifected by the embodiment of my resilient cushion between the visor and the sweat band.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a cap embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a partially constructed visor, before the resilient cushion has been secured in position.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through the visor illustrated in Figure 2, taken on the line 7 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the visor after the cushion has been inserted into place, illustrating the completed visor ready for connection with the cap body, lining and band.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through the visor of the completed cap, taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 1, of the drawings.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of one type of resilient material used for forming the cushion.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of another type of cushioning material.

My cap A is to all appearances very similar in design to ordinary caps. My cap A comprises a body 10, a lining 11, and a visor 12. The visor 12 is formed of a somewhat crescent-shaped sheet of stiff material 13 which is preferably, but not necessarily, flexible. ihe stiffener 13 is covered by an upper cloth covering 14 and an under cloth covering 15 which are sewed together along the seam 16 adjacent the outer visor edge along the lower surface as illustrated in the various cross-sectional views. In the formation of the 95 visor, the upper and lower coverings 14 and 15 are also sewed along the inner edge of the stiffenor 13. The visor in this step of the construction is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. The coverings 14 and 15 extend beyond the stitching 1'? adjacent the inner edge of the visor stiffener 13.

I next position a resilient cushioning member 18 adjacent the stitching 17, and secure the same in this position by means of another row of stitching 19. Accordingly, the cushioning member 18 is interposed between the rows of stitching 1'7 and 19, and is held in close proximity to the inner edge 20 of the stiffener 13. The cushioning member 18 is thus enclosed by 110 the visor covering members 14 and 15, and embodied integrally with the visor 12.

In order to hold the visor in the proper shape along the free edges 22 and 23 of the visor coverings 14 and 15, a size band is stitched to these free edges. The cap visor in completed form, with the cushioning means 18 embodied therewith, and the size band 24 attached, is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.

In securing the visor 12 to the remainder of the cap A, the lining 11 is looped over the free edges 22 and 23 of the coverings 14 and 15 and over the size band 24 secured thereto. The sweat band 25 is placed with its outer edge adjacent the stitching 19, and the band is secured in this position by means of stitching 26 which extends through the free edges 22 and 23 and the lining 11, securing this lining 11 looped over the edges and size band, and covering or binding the free edges. The body of the cap, however, is not connected at this point, but its stitched a jacent the stitching 17, thus hiding from sight from the top of the visor that portion of the covering 14 enclosing the cushioning means 18. The attaching of the body 10, the lining 11, and the sweat band 25 may be seen clearly in Figure 6 of the drawings.

When the cap A is drawn onto the head of the wearer, the sweat band 25 is in contact with the forehead and head. As the cap A is pulled down, the resilient cushioning member 18 compresses the necessary amount. The inner edge 20 of the visor at no time bears directly against the band 25, as the cushioning member 18 is interposed therebetween.

My cap A is comfortable for the wearer, the visor does not bear against the forehead even when pulled down tightly, and does not crease the forehead. The portion of the coverings enclosing the resilient cushioning 18 is hidden by the body 10 of the cap, and the attachment of this covering assists in the support of the visor. My cap A is thus well made, attractive, and practical to manufacture.

The resilient cushioning means 18 is illustrated in the form of a rubber tubular member. This tubular member is of sufliciently soft rubber to flex or compress readily, and is of sufficient body to support the visor 12 properly.

In Figure 8 of the drawings, I illustrate an alternate form of cushioning means, designated 18'. The cushion 18' is made up of a strip of sponge rubber. Other forms of cushions could also be used, any type of a member 18 having a yieldable or resilient nature being suitable for the purpose.

A snap fastener 28 of any desired form may be mounted on the visor and the body 10 of the cap in order to hold the cap over the visor 12. This fastener is indicated in Figure 6 of the drawings.

It is apparent that in certain forms of hats such as stiff or sailor type of straw hats, or other similar hats where the brim is stifi" and rigid it may be desirable to provide a resilient spacer between the inner edge of the brim and the sweat band of the hat. In such cases the same structure may be employed to provide a resilient means so that the hat may fit the contour or shape of the head without rigidly engaging the same. In such a case the resilient spacer would probably extend around the entire inner edge of the brim. This spacer structure in the case of this nature would also act to provide a means of spacing the sweat band slightly away from the hat body and thereby prevent perspiration from readily passing through the body of the hat as is so apparent in ordinary hat construction.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction of my cap, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made Within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cap including, a body portion, a visor adapted to extend out from the front of said body portion, a resilient means, means connecting one side of said resilient means to the inner edge of the visor, and means connecting the opposite side of the resilient means to the inside of the cap, to cushion the visor in relation to the head of the wearer.

2. A cap comprising, a crown portion, a cloth covered visor including a stiffener, the edges of said cloth covering for the visor extending beyond the inner edge of said stiifener to provide a channel, a resilient member inserted therein, and a sweat band secured to the inner edges of the cloth covering beyond the channel portion and resilient member to provide a resilient spacer means between the inner edge of the visor stiffener and the sweat band.

3. A cap, comprising a crown portion, a visor stiffener, a cloth for covering said visor stiffener having end portions extending from the inner edge of said stiffener, stitching along the inner edge of said stiifener to hold the ends adjacent the inner edge of said cloth covering together, a rubber tubing laid between the sides of said cloth covering adjacent said stitching, stitching for holding said rubber tubing in position adjacent the inner edge of said. stiffener, said crown portion of the cap being secured to the extending edges of said cloth for covering said stiifener, said rubber tubing forming a resilient spacer to cushion the stiifener in relation to the forehead of the wearer of the cap.

4. A cap, a visor including a cloth covering, a resilient member enclosed by said cloth covering adjacent the inner edge of said visor, and a crown and body portion secured beyond said resilient member to form a cap with a forehead cushioned visor.

5. An article of headwear including, a brim, a sweat band, and a resilient spacer between the inner edge of said brim and the attaching edge of the sweat band to connect said brim edge to said attaching edge and to provide a cushioning means between the sweat band and the brim for the purposes specified.

6. An article of headwear including, a sweat band, a stiff brim, and a resilient cushioning and spacing means interposed between the inner edge of said brim and the attaching edge of said sweat band to connect the same and to provide a cushioning means between said band and the inner edge of said brim.

7. A cap including, a body portion, a visor comprising a stiffening member, a flexible covering over said member, means securing said body portion to said visor adjacent the inner edge of said stiffener, a resilient means enclosed by said covering inwardly of said securing means, a sweat band and a cap lining, and means for securing said band and lining to said covering inwardly of said resilient means.

ALONZO R. KNOX. 

